Lock nut



H. B. RUDD LocK NUT -July 2 0, 194s.

Filed March 2, 1944 Patented .uly 20, 1948 y UNITED PATENT QFFICE Lfo'oK Harryffl. Rudd, Flushing, N. Application-'March 2, 1944, serial No. 524,681

a claims. (o1. rs1-211)- My inventionfrelatesto loclcfnutsandsespiecially to .flocknuts adapted forrepeated. use...

My invention has particular referenceto. a lock nut having arslot.extendingthereinto.from the. periphery thereof and transversely to the longitudinal 'nut axis to thereby define; nut sections integrally secured to eachother lay-a connecting neck, one nutsection-having an elliptical bolt-receiving passage andthe vother nut section having a circular.. bolt-receiving passage alined with said elliptical passage, said nutfsections having.; equal .crosse-sectional areas, respectively, andthe exterior.- surfaces thereofv having similar polygonal configuration.

vMy inventionmakes possible a meritorious method ofproducingalocklnut ofthe character stated, such method involving-f the application of compressive force toone of the nutV sections throughout substantiallythe entire height therer of to Vcause the bolt-receiving passage Ydefined therebytoassume` a substantially true elliptical configuration- Various .other objects, .advantages and features ofmy inventionfwillhecome appa-rentffrom the followingdetailed description. ,i For. anunderstanding. of myv invention` and for an illustration rof. one ofthe ...forms thereof, reference is to behad tothe.accompanying.,draw ings., in which Figure 1 is an elvational'view of a completedv loclrnut;A

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lock nut shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan View illustrating a step in the formation ofmy nove1'1ocknut;

Fig. 4 is an elevational viewof'itliearrange; ment shown in.1`ig. 3;

Fig. 5v is a plan View of the .completed lock'- nut; and

Fig. 6 is-azfragmentary sectionalview illustratinggaffeature ofthe invention; Y

Referringto Figs. 1 and 2,Nr'epresentsarpartially` completed, metalliclnluthaving, aislotfs extendingV thereinto.. from: the periphery; thereof and! disposedtransversely. or atright .anglsto the-longitudinal nutaxisfsaid' slot ls beingvformed, foreexample, byy af suitable -tool'l operable-.simultaneously with the-toolwhioh-'cuts the -nut1v from the stock. Thefslot `s.defines.ftvvcrfnut sections n and nl, the lower nut section VAn having substantially greater height than the upper nutpse'ction nl. Theiiut N, as shown in Figs. 1 and-.lf2ilias a thread t extending from the bottom to the top thereof, this thread t defining the bolt-receiving partially passagewhich is circular throughout the height ofsfsaid. nut N.

Ini accordance with the invention, .the exterior surface. of thev nutV N, throughout the height thereof, is `of hexagonal or other suitable 'polye gona-l configuration. The exterior'surfaceofthe nut sectional, then, is polygonal 4in conformance with thepolygonal configuration :of the nut .section n.

As vindicatedin Figs. 3-and4inr order to complete vthe lock nut lof the invention, .the nut N Iis disposedLona suitable support I andopposite parallelfaces of the nutsection nl are engaged by shapingmembers 2 and 2a, each ofwhich, preferably, has :the sameV area as that of 'any nut face,v the member 2, preferably although not necessarily, being -xed and the member 2a -being movable. Thereupon, by suitable means, not shown, the member 2a. is moved from right toleft While holdingthe member 2 stationary. As a result of this. operation, the'nut section nl is deformed and the bolt-receiving passage dened thereby is changedfrom circular conguration as indicated' at a, Fig. 3, to elliptical configuration as indicated at-al,y Figs. 5 and 6. The described operation, however, does not cause deformation of. the'nut section n and, therefore, the boltreceiving passage defined thereby, retains its vcircular configuration as; indicated at a2, Figs; 5 and 6.- Y

It-will Ybeunderstood that, irrespective of the vposition of thewslot s, the nutV section thereabove iswdeforme'd to .cause the bolt-receiving passage to. have elliptical conguration Whereas l the-boltreceiving` passage in said. nut N- below the slot s retains its original. circular conguration; When the lock nutof'my. inventionisattached to arbolt, the attaching; operation causes .the elliptical passage inthe nut section nl Zto return approximately to its original circular conguration. This is an unstable condition resulting by reason of the -fact that the passage last named tends to resume. its elliptical configuration. Therefore, when 'the nut Nis tightened against the Work, `theithread t, throughout the heightof the de formed'nut section nl, engages the bolt thread underth'e influence: of a'forcewhich is effective transversely of the-bolt axis. and also, longitudinaily; oi`- the bolt toward-the'freeend thereof. This causes the desired locking action which'is highlyaeiective and adequate .toprevent loosenliztgLmo'tion of theiloclrnutifrom its associated bolt when thisass'ernblyis subjected 'to -vibratory -motion or other force impulses incident to the operation of machinery.

An important feature of the invention involves the provision of nut sections n and 'nl having substantially equal cross-sectional areas respectively, the exterior surfaces of both nut sections having similar configuration. Thus, as disclosed, the nut section n is of hexagonal configuration and, similarly, the nut section nl is of hexagonal coniiguration. Both sections, then, have similar wrench-receiving surfaces and, in the completed lock nut, those surfaces are only slightly out of alinement as shown in Fig. 5. By reason of the fact that the cross-sectional area of the nut section nl is equal to that of the nut section n, said nut section nl provides a metal section having thickness sufficient to render the elliptical thread entirely operative and practical for the desirable function of the invention. y

In accordance with a specific and preferred form of the invention and having reference to a nut wherein the bolt-receiving passage has a diameter of three-eighths inch, the height of the nut section nl should be 0.125 inch' or somewhat less and the depth of the slot s should be 0.032 inch, measured from the mid-point of any at side, although this may range down to 0.020 inch. In general, with respect to nuts of other sizes, the height of the nut section nl varies for different sizes of nuts from the preferred value stated above in the same ratio as the diameters of the respective passages through the nuts. Further, the preferred depth of the slots varies for diierent sizes of nuts from the preferred slot depth in the same ratio as noted above. As stated, the foregoing discussion relates to a specific and preferred form of the invention and it is to be understood therefore that, in no manner at all, is the invention to be limited to this specific example.

Increase in height of the nut section nl. increasesy the height of the elliptical thread which engages the bolt. This, up to a certain extent, is desirable because increasing the gripping action on the bolt. When the nut N is tightened against the work, forces are set up in the lower nut section n and these forces tend to be transmitted to the upper nut section nl. When the nut comprises a slot -s having the proper depth, this slot, to substantial extent, shields the nut section nl from these forces. Therefore, the nut section nl retains its desired resilient character in that, when the bolt-receiving passage thereof is deformed to elliptical conguration as stated, this passage tends to return to such elliptical configuration after the nut has been threaded on the bolt whereby the desired locking action of the nut on the bolt is obtained. If the nut does not-comprise a slot s having the proper depth, the bolt-receiving passage of the nut section nl does not tend sufficiently to return to elliptical configuration to produce the desired locking action. Y

In accordance with the invention, the upper nut section nl is of polygonal configuration as stated. Accordingly, said upper nut section nl has such mass that it is not unduly flexible.

This condition would not exist, to the desirable extent which is present in the disclosed form of the invention, if the corners of the nut section nlV were cut away so as to obtain a circular top section.

The disclosed arrangement for Vshaping the upper nut section nl imparts a configuration to the bolt-receiving passage thereof whichis generally elliptical but not necessarily a true geo- -cured vby Letters Patent is:

metrlcal ellipse. The references, then, in this specification and in the appended claims to an elliptical bolt-receiving passage of the nut section nl shall be interpreted as either generally or truly elliptical.

While the invention has been described with respect to a certain particular preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art afterr Yunderstanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended therefore in the appended claims to vrcover all such changes and modications.

What is claimed as new and desired to be sef -1. A locknut having a slot extending thereinto from and throughout the entire periphery thereof, said slot being disposed transversely of the lock nut axis and the interior surface of said slot, through `the length'thereof, beingspaced from the interior lock nut thread to thereby define nut sections integrally secured toeach other by a circumferentially complete connecting neck, one nut section having an elliptical bolt-receiving passage, the other nut section having a vcircular bolt-receiving passage alined with said elliptical passage, said nut sections having substantially equal cross-sectional areas, respectively, nand the exterior surfaces thereof having similar polygonal configuration. 'l

2. A lock nut having a slot-extending-thereinto from and throughout theentire periphery thereof, said slot being disposed transversely Vof the vlock nut axis and the interior surface of said slot, throughout the circular length thereof,being spaced from the interior lock nut thread to thereby define nut sections integrally secured to each other by a circumferentially complete connecting neck, said slot being positioned nearer one end of the nut than the other to thereby cause said nut sections to have substantially different lengths, respectively, the shorter nut section having Aan elliptical bolt-receiving passage, the longer nut section having a circular bolt-receiving passage alined with said velliptical passage, said nut sections vhaving substantially equal crosssectional areas, respectively, and the exterior surfaces thereof having similar polygonal configuration. f i

HARRYY B. RUDD.

REFERENCES CITED Y The following references are of record in the file of this patent: .v y y A.

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTSV Country i *Y VDate Y `France 'July 19,1910 France ."May 14', 1931 Number Number 

